1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to on-chip datapath interfaces. In one example, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing a flexible datapath interface that allows interconnection of a variety of components on a device.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of interconnection mechanisms are used to connect components on a device such as a programmable chip. In some examples, a standard on-chip data path interface specification is defined and components such as intellectual property (IP) cores are configured to conform to the interface specification. For example, components must be configured to comply with a specific set of signals and particular timing requirements in order for components to operate with other components on a device.
Designers are forced to select only components that have support for particular standards or characteristics, preventing design flexibility. In other examples, standard crossing bridges are manually inserted into a design and components supporting particular standards are segregated onto different portions of a design.
Techniques and mechanisms for interconnecting components have significant limitations. Consequently, it is desirable to provide improved methods and apparatus for allowing connections between components by using a flexible datapath interface.